Friday, July 10, 2015
From: Gary L. Bauer
“Down With America”
As President Obama and Secretary of State John Kerry struggle to sufficiently appease Iranian demands for a nuclear deal, the Associated Press reports that, “Tens of thousands of Iranians chanted ‘Down with America’ and ‘Death to Israel’ during annual pro-Palestinian rallies nationwide.”
Iran’s “moderate” president and the speaker of the Iranian parliament both attended the anti-American, anti-Israeli demonstration in Tehran. President Hassan Rouhani told the crowd it would be a “strategic mistake” for America to abandon the talks now.
The real mistake is continuing these futile talks. It is delusional to think we can deal with the Iranian regime.
Iran is cheating on its existing agreements.
All of our negotiations throughout the 1970s did not dissuade the Soviets from invading Afghanistan in 1980. This deal won’t change the hearts and minds of the tyrants in Tehran.
And the last nuclear deal between a Democrat president and a rogue state was a disaster. If there is a deal with Iran, it will be a disaster too.
Undermining Our Values
In previous reports, I have warned that our lax immigration and refugee policies are very likely importing hatred and anti-Semitism from all corners of the Islamic world. That’s not conjecture or hyperbole on my part. Minneapolis is a hotbed of jihadi recruitment. The FBI says that more than 200 Americans have tried to join ISIS.
But consider the example of Great Britain. The BBC reported this week that there were nearly 12,000 “honor crimes” committed in Britain from 2010 to 2014. The crimes included forced marriages and female genital mutilation.
Authorities fear that the figures grossly underestimate the severity of the problem because many honor crimes are never reported. “Honor-based violence is no longer a fringe issue,” one police commander said. This BBC report made me wonder what the statistics are in this country.
The left constantly denigrates Western Civilization and mocks Judeo-Christian values. But values matter. What do we stand for? How do we define what is acceptable? How much will we tolerate? Thousands of honor crimes assault the social fabric of this country as much as suicide bombings or other acts of jihad.
The Left’s Extremism
Several news stories this week demonstrate just how extreme the left’s agenda has become:
- Oregon now offers taxpayer-funded sex changes for teenagers — without parental notification.
- For 40 years there has been bi-partisan agreement in Congress known as the Hyde Amendment that prohibits the use of taxpayer funds to pay for abortions. But now more than 70 left-wing House members are co-sponsoring legislation that would force taxpayers to subsidize abortions in Medicaid.
- Barry Lynn, of the radical left group Americans United for the Separation of Church State, announced this week a new “offensive” by left-wing groups to further restrict religious liberty. According to Lynn, religious universities that denied married student housing to same-sex couples “would be on the edge of the indefensible.” In other words, Lynn is demanding that Catholic and Baptist schools violate the teachings of their faith.Meanwhile, several liberal senators, when pressed by our friends at The Weekly Standard, would not rule out eliminating the charitable tax status of religious schools. Senator Dick Durbin, for example, said, “I’ll have to think about it long and hard.”The Left Cracks DownIn the wake of the Ferguson and Baltimore riots, the country is sick and tired of crime. After the horrific murder in San Francisco, there is growing frustration with illegal immigration and the violence it spawns, and people want action.
A new Rasmussen poll finds that 62% of likely voters want the Justice Department to sue sanctuary cities. (I think crime victims should.) And 58% want federal funds cut off to sanctuary cities.
Are any of our political elites paying attention to the mood of the country?
Well, the folks in Oregon are cracking down hard. The bureaucrats there threw the book at a couple of rule breakers, imposing $135,000 fine for their violation of the law. And they are demanding payment by Monday or the couple and their five children may face a lien on their home.
What got Oregon authorities so riled up? Drugs? Murder? Human trafficking? Child abuse? No. It was cakes.
Aaron and Melissa Klein, the Christian owners of Sweet Cakes by Melissa, refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex wedding. And for their crime of remaining true to their faith, the state of Oregon is threatening to financially destroy this small business and loving family. That shows just how intolerant the left really is.
This is the kind of state-sponsored religious persecution that caused the Pilgrims to flee Europe for America and to establish a “shining city upon a hill” where the freedom to exercise and live out one’s faith would be respected and protected. Perhaps it is time for men and women of faith to flee the religious bigotry in Oregon and relocate to Idaho.
By the way, wouldn’t it be nice if some American corporation threatened to pull business from Oregon for its attack on the First Amendment rights of Christians? Going once, going twice. . .
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